Fans struggle to stay cool at Vans Warped Tour 2012

Music lovers united in Las Cruces, N.M., on Friday for the Vans Warped Tour 2012. This was the tenth stop on the nationwide tour.

More than 80 bands played on nine stages at New Mexico State University.

Officials told ABC-7 they estimate nearly 11,000 people showed up for the big event.

Fans drove in from all over the state and even from Juarez and El Paso.

“We woke up like at 4 o’clock in the morning. I used a full tank of gas all the way over here. We don’t even know how we’re going to get home,” Andrea Zaragoza, who drove in from Albuquerque, told ABC-7.

Another group didn’t have to travel so far.

“It’s been awesome so far. It’s been good. It’s really awesome to check out all the new bands that we haven’t heard of and become a fan of them as well, so it’s pretty cool,” Miranda Bradley, an NMSU student, said.

With the show in an outdoor venue, fans had to face the scorching heat with temperatures in the high 90s.

Lines were long at the water refill stations set up all around the venue. Fans were allowed to bring in a sealed water bottle that they could fill up for free.

“We soaked ourselves with hoses, just soaking ourselves and getting a bunch of water,” Mary McCoy, a fan eager to see many bands, told ABC-7.

“Last year, there was a lot more shade, but it doesn’t seem like there’s that much shade this year,” Charles Webber, an NMSU student, said.

Another source of relief was a Slip ‘n Slide. People were lined up for as long as 20 minutes just to have some fun and stay cool at the same time.

Despite the heat, fans enjoyed the energetic atmosphere.

“(I’m) super excited. I’m hoping to get in that mosh pit and just start going crazy,” Webber said.

The Las Cruces stop of the tour featured a local band stage with five bands from New Mexico and El Paso.

Pop-punk band HN-88 came all the way from Santa Fe. This was the first time they played onstage at Warped Tour, and they told ABC-7 it was an amazing feeling.

“It’s a surreal feeling because we’ve been working towards this for so long, and to actually be here and be able to play at Warped Tour, it’s really fun,” band member Bobby Strait said.

Low Luster League, a band from El Paso, also played there for the first time. They said it was exciting to play in the same venue as some of their inspirations, including Taking Back Sunday.

“Just seeing all these people and all these good bands, I mean, to be a part of it is a blessing,” lead singer Hapa Martinez said.

All in all, officials said this year’s show was a huge success. About 2,000 more people showed up than last year. Officials attribute that to having the show on a Friday for the first time and the strong lineup of bands.